A native of Puglia, a southern region of Italy, Luigi Fineo’s cuisine transcends guests on a culinary journey through Italy’s majestic Mediterranean terrain. As the youngest of five growing up in the small, picturesque town of Gioia Del Colle, Luigi was schooled in selecting the finest seasonal ingredients while accompanying his mother to the local markets. At an early age, Luigi learned that the kitchen is central to the hearts and minds of all Italian families, and the seeds of his passion were sewn.
Having honed his craft at the renowned Casetellana Grotte culinary school in Puglia, Luigi travelled north to the heart of Tuscany, where he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants alongside acclaimed chefs such as Francesco Berardinelli and Karl Baumgartner.
Despite having no knowledge of the English language, Luigi voyaged to the United States in order to share his passion for traditional Italian cuisine, and the spirit of social gatherings that have taken place around kitchen tables throughout Italy for centuries.
In 2008, Luigi’s perfectionism paid off when he was bestowed with a prestigious Michelin Star award while working as Executive Chef at La Botte Ristorante in Santa Monica, CA. Luigi earned the restaurant’s first-ever Michelin Star for two consecutive years, making him the youngest chef in the USA to be anointed with this honor.
